What is BMW Pride?

[CassiesMan]

This is rather random, and I'm just throwing this out there, but I think something that a lot of us on the the forums are starting to forget about is our pride in BMW.

I am constantly hearing flame wars about what BMW is or isn't, why "e30 M3's are the only true m3's", how bangle is screwing everything up etc etc... But I'm just going to share this.

Driving home today in my Dads Mini Cooper S, I pulled behind another Mini Cooper S in a lane. We were in traffic for a little bit, then out of nowhere, the guy in front of me guns it. I of course follow and keep up speed with him...

He then slows rapidly and goes to turn into his complex, and as I pass.. I hear that wonderfull music to my ears that reminds me of everything that BMW is:

"Beep Beep"

I wave my hand, put a smile on my face and chuckle.

Two people, who haven't even seen each others face just connected and bonded in such a simple way, that is so gratifying it's not something you can completely explain through words. That connection is a bond through pride in a company, and the history behind it. There is nothing like driving in a Mini, E36, E46 or whatever, and pull up next to an old vintage BMW and just get that smile from a person you've never met.

Just thought I'd throw that out there. Leave your comments

This was originally posted on DTMPower.net forums, and I have to say, after reading it, I really agree with what the author is saying. Today, far to much infighting is going on in the BMW community (although I see very little of it here, mostly in that shitrag Roundel and other BMW oriented magazines). Its become far to polarized.

To much, I've heard that, since my 325i isn't an ///M, its not a real BMW, or that anyone who buys a Bangle styled car is an idiot, and that BMW has lost its way. Now, while i agree that BMW is being stupid in putting a damned V8 into the E90 ///M3, I think that the real problem is BMW owners have lost their way.

I often wave at every other BMW I see, and have been known to simply follow along if another BMW passes me, and is going my way. I remeber once what started off as me just admiring an E46 ///M3 turned into myself and around 12 other BMWs just spending a day driving around. I appriciate any car with the spining propeller that is the roundel on the nose, regardless of year, make, power, etc. I bought a BMW becuase I was an enthusiast, and I wanted the "ultimate driving machine". However, far to many BMW owners, unfortunately, only purchased a BMW because they liked the way it looked more than a Benz, and becuase its European, as a status symbol. I also hear often about the prick BMW owners, that end up giving all BMW owners a bad name.

With the few exceptions, I feel that it isn't BMW loosing its way, its the BMW drivers. I've found that owning a BMW has become a cheap jump for status, and the pride behind owning one is gone. I've known personally far to many BMWs, ///Ms and regular models, that will never be driven, just ridden in. While I do blame a small amount on the current society, to many BMW owners are buying these cars, but not really driving them. And the attitude being shown by many a bimmer owner is getting to be appaling. The other day, I passed a E30 ///M3 on the highway. I smiled and waved, and he returned it. At a light, shortly after, I was sitting next to another man in a Z4. I smiled and waved, said nice BMW, and he just shrugged and sped off. And far to often have I heard, "well, its not an ///M3, so its not a real BMW."

So that leads me to ask, what is BMW Pride? I think that BMW Pride means us, as BMW owners, need to get back to the routes. We need to go back to the times when owning a BMW was almost like being in a brotherhood of sorts, a small, personal community of enthusiasts who truely enjoy driving our cars. So next time you see another BMW on the road, even if you have no clue in all high hell whose driving, wave and smile.

[Jaguar D-Type]

BMW and some of their customers are losing their way.

Many people bought BMWs since about the 1980s as status symbols.

BMW lost my respect when...

- They announced plans for "sport wagon"

check here

New BMW coming

- Even considered an M-badged SUV

check here

M-badged SUVs?

- Put gobs of gizmos in their cars. I don't want a computer with wheels.

- Have cars built at non-BMW factories. The X3 is made by a Magna Steyr in Austria.

- Make their cars look ugly.

- Make awful interiors.